Page 383 - Neglected Arabia (1911-1915)(Vol 1)

f
J 1)

the prosperity of missionary work. The importance of this work,
its commendation by our Lord, and his command to pray for it to the
Lord of the harvest, would seem to justify this method and even to
make it necessary, regardless of any apparent prospect of results, I
subjective or objective, or even of criticisms, friendly or otherwise.
I think, however, that results may be expected. Suffer an illustra­
tion, from my own experience. Some years since, I began in two i
of the midweek meetings of the church, to pray regularly, and by
name, for two missionaries with whom the church was acquainted.
•• • In a comparatively short time, most of those who pray in these prayer
meetings were praying regularly for missionaries and their work, and
perhaps half of them mentioned the two missionaries by name. This
condition still prevails.
M. B. Harrison'.

A Parallel and Some People to Pray for.

Suppose a taxicab were to ride up to a vacant house in your home
town and there should step out an individual with dress and com­
plexion and language that betokened a Chinese mandarin or a Hindu
pundit, with him a van loaded with strange looking boxes and bundles,
i
* and with him also an individual, evidently a woman closely veiled
as to face, but with bare feet and huge anklets. Suppose they should
take possession of that house next to yours. You would be amused
perhaps, and at least mildly interested. Suppose then your strange
neighbor should take to going to and fro on some apparently mysteri­
\
ous business, how would he be treated? Well, if it were winter,
I am inclined to think boys would do what I once did to Hop Kee
the laundry man—they would snow-ball him. If after a few weeks
or months your Oriental neighbor would in rather broken English
invite you to a little store on Main Street where hung a sign designating
his stand as The Stairway, and showed you shelves and tables filled
with books and pamphlets setting forth the claims of Confucius or
Buddha, and if he then should set out to talk and argue and con­
vince, by that time you would begin to resent it and him. It he had
something you wanted, be it starch and flat-irons, or some acknowl­
edged sovereign remedy or undoubted medical or surgical skill, you
would take advantage of him and his shop, but you would always
resent his religious propaganda. His proper method of procedure
would be to secure an American of his faith from somewhere and
work through him, and keep himself in the background as much as
possible.

«*.